What is Stretch Wrap Film Used For?

Stretch film plays an important roll in the world around us. Many consumers do not realize that stretch film plays an important part in delivering and transporting most product they use, eat, display, and store. We wanted to prepare a list of products stretch wrap is commonly used on. This is by no means a complete list, there are thousands of products that are wrapped in stretch film for transportation and storage. Last year we wrote a post about commonly shrink wrapped products all around you. This post will be similar, except the end-user rarely sees the stretch film these products are wrapped with.

Below is a list of products that are wrapped in stretch film for transportation, storage, and sometimes retail sales.

1. Palletized Boxes – Probably the most common and easily recognized use of stretch film. Boxes of a variety of sizes and weight are often palletized and wrapped using stretch film.

3. Wire Reels – Film is used to unitize reels together and can be used to prevent wires from unwinding.

4. Canned Beverages – This is a very common use for stretch wrap. Loads are often heavy and tall, a stretch wrap is ideal for wrapping beverages. Beer and soda producers often use high-speed machines to wrap beverage pallet loads.

5. Clay – Another heavy product often used with a heavy gauged stretch wrap.

6. Electronics – Many electronics are lighter than many other products mentioned. A lighter gauged stretch film can often be used to reduce costs. An anti static stretch film is often a great option for electronics.

7. Mulch – Many landscapers and lawn services use a heavy gauged film to wrap mulch. We have had some customers wrapping mulch with as thick as 150 ga. stretch wrap.

8. Wood- Firewood companies use bundling film all of the time to wrap and unitize wood bundles. Recently, many firewood producers have began using a vented pallet wrap to unitize whole pallet loads. The vented wrap allows moisture to escape the wood after being wrapped.

9. Tires – Palletized and unpalletized tires are often wrapped with stretch film to secure and hold them together.

10. Furniture – Another very commonly wrapped item. Manufacturers and movers use stretch film to protect furniture during transportation and storage.

11. Rocks – Often wrapped with a heavy gauge stretch film and steel strapping or polyester strapping.

12. Bricks – Like rocks, wrapped with a heavy stretch film with a steel or polyester strapping.

13. Feed/Seed – Pallet loads of feed and seed are often relativity heavy to extremely heavy. Anything from an 80 gauge film up to a 150 ga. can be used depending on weight and pallet dimensions.

14. Medical Product – Often very light products. Many times a great option for pre stretch film. A lighter more affordable film.

15. Coffee – Both bulk and retail coffee are often palletized and transported in stretch wrap.

16. Live Trees & Plants – A great option to be used with our vented stretch film. The film allows the plants and trees to breathe during transport.

17. Tubing – Bundling film is often used around the ends of tubing to hold multiple tubes together.

18. Carpet – Another product often used with bundling film. Hand or machine bundling film is used to help keep carpet rolls from unrolling.

19. Windows – Each individual window is wrapped to protect during transportation to he install point.

20. Picture Frames – Bundling film and cardboard corner protectors work great to protect frames during transportation and storage.

This is only a small list of products that stretch wrap is used for. There are hundreds of other products that are used in our everyday life commonly wrapped with stretch wrap. Number one on this list was meant to cover a variety of products. There are thousands of products that fall under that category.

If you are currently wrapping a product or products with stretch wrap we would love the chance to quote you. If you have any questions about any products you are intending to wrap we would love to help. Call us at 1-800-441-5090.

Published by Charlesh

Charles Haverfield is Co-owner and CEO of U.S. Packaging & Wrapping LLC. For over 10 years Charles and co-workers have tested in-house and helped thousands of companies large and small find solutions for product packaging. Detailed packaging articles have been published in Packaging Digest and other high circulation publications. Feel free to drop us a line for assistance. We are always happy to help.
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